Is He Davey Crockett Junior

...or is he one of the Mario Brothers having recently caught himself a raccoon tail?

Perhaps this question is answered by the fact that immediately following these photos, he leaped in the air, bounced on his auntie's head and proceeded racing around and lashing his siblings with his tail, all the while collecting coins.

Of course, the last we saw of Ben, he was on his way to Texas, supposedly doing his 'patriotic duty'...

The Hand Writing on the Piano

This is why we try to dust more often. There are fewer greater slights your child can offer you than to use your own lapse in cleanliness to entertain themselves. But Genna could have chosen worst things than her name to write, and I'm proud of her for not turning to the default of 'wash me.'

This reminds me of a time in my youth when I was caught having written in my neighbors freshly-poured cement. I tried to deny it, but my guilt was soon proven for my vandalism had consisted of writing my actual name in the cement.

Morning Light on Julia

Here is one of my mostest favoritest photos of Julia. Nothing terribly special was going at the time. It was sometime after breakfast, and Julia and I were at the table. I noticed how the morning light was filtering through the window, and I liked how it shone on Julia's face. So I busted out the camera and captured it. Thus is a perfect picture born.

Brothers

Sam and Ben continue to bond, though Sam seems to be doing most of the effort. Ben just lays there (getting tummy-time here), while Sam presents his mouth for a kiss. Ben never reciprocates, save with his customary smile, and Sam seems content with that. We're all content with that. Ben could charm Al'Qaeda agents into talking, and liking it, too.

Pin Face

I recently rediscovered this toy from my childhood. For the life of me, I can't remember what it's called, but we've all played with them. Anyways...the kids have had a blast playing with...it.

Here we have Genna's smiling face embedded into the pins, and the real life smile on her actual face beside it. Uncanny likeness. We also have Sam in the background, who looks like he has sprouted off of Genna's shoulder, like one of Zeus's progeny.



















Sam seemed interested enough in the toy that I pressed it onto his face. He was so surprised that he didn't react for a moment. His indecision can be seen in the pins. By the time I took this photo, he was able to recover from the shock and glower.

Three Little Girls Drawing

Our girls love drawing. We supply them with all sorts of paper and markers and pencils and crayons, and they go to town. Seriously, they can burn through hours of daylight with their artistic endeavors.

Julia's skills have increased by leaps and bounds over the past month. Here is a sketch she did on one of our coveted Magna-Doodles. She's getting good, isn't she? I'm not sure who this girl is supposed to be, but she's got a pleasant smile. That bodes well, if I'm to read anything into it regarding Julia's psyche.


















Kate's drawings nearly always abound with princesses and castles, or depictions of the family. Lately she has made some forays into new territories. Here we have a snap shot from her recent excursion into Monsterland. I'm thinking it's a goblin of some sort. She did well with the pointy ears, sharp fangs, and asymmetrical eyes. I, for one, would not like to meet this creature in a dark alley.



















Genna tends to spurn the Magna-Doodle in favor of the more traditional medium of pencil on paper. This one is a bit faint, but you should be able to pick out what it is. It's just what Dr. Morea dreamed of--a human-animal hybrid. I don't think Genna has ever seen a centaur or any creature like it, so I'm not sure what triggered this drawing. But it's a female centaur, complete with flowing locks of blue hair and blue eyelashes. Maybe there's something to the Jungian Collective Unconscious, or Plato's forms...

Ben's Belly Time

Little Ben, showing off his belly skills. Look at how well he can hold his head up! He can even manage a smile. That's multi-tasking people. He is a talented young man. I see a bright future for him. Especially with my constant goading, setting of unreachable goals, and helicopter-like parenting techniques.

Of Algae, Barnacles, and Toys

We've found that if we leave any flat surface unattended and within reach of the girls, it will soon sprout toys, tea sets, Polly Pocket scenes, and mini bedrooms.

I was busy installing a ceiling fan in the spare bedroom and left my workbench alone for only 20 minutes. But that was long enough for me to find this (note the chair in the background, too)...


















If you leave standing water in the sun, you'll soon have algae. Leave your boat floating in the water, and you'll have barnacles. Leave me alone with an extra-large pizza, and I'll soon gain a couple of pounds. Such is the case with our living room table, sofa, and love seat; they start growing their own little ecosystems. Kate is usually the culprit, though her sisters are both aiders and abettors (Sam tends to undo their work).

Below is a scene I came across a couple of nights ago after I tucked the girls in. The love seat became a bed with a baby teddy bear (I say baby, because he has a diaper rag beneath him, just like Ben whenever we lay him down on furniture), and the table is an impromptu market and kitchen. Add a toilet, and you pretty much have a fully functioning domicile/place of business.